Windsor Barra Hotel

Very nice place to stay in Rio. For business is kind of far from downtown… Rio has a lot of traffic. Staff is polite. Room is clean. Great breakfast. The view is amazing! 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼 Not my first time here, and I will be back again.

I had a decent stay at this hotel. The location was convenient, with a few restaurants nearby and the beach within walking distance. However, it’s a bit far from the main Rio attractions like Christ the Redeemer and Sugarloaf Mountain. We used Uber to get around, and each ride typically ranged between 100 to 150 Reais, depending on traffic, time of day, and the type of Uber service you choose. So, it can add up if you're planning to visit several attractions. The hotel itself was okay, but there were a few areas for improvement. The rooms weren’t as clean as I expected, and the bathrooms could use some attention. There was a bit of mold in the cracks of the shower, and the showerhead had quite a bit of buildup. Another downside: when I booked through a third-party website, it clearly stated that breakfast was included, but the hotel informed us that it wasn’t part of our reservation. They didn’t honor it, which was disappointing. The breakfast selection seemed nice, but at 150 Reais per person, it wasn’t worth the extra cost, especially for someone like me who doesn’t eat much in the morning. Just be mindful of the distance to the main attractions and double-check your booking details to avoid any surprises!

⭐☆☆☆☆ Disappointing Experience – Not Recommended for International Travelers I rarely leave negative reviews, but my experience at Hotel Windsor Barra was deeply disappointing on multiple levels: 1. Overcharging for Basic Services: There is no kettle provided in the room. I simply requested hot water to make coffee and was charged 22 BRL for 330 mL. Whether you want to make tea or coffee in your room, you’re forced to purchase hot or bottled water. In a hotel of this price and supposed standard, that’s unacceptable. 2. Laundry Service Confusion: I sent clothes for laundry, and surprisingly, two items were returned to my room unwashed, asking for my authorization because they had coffee stains. This was shocking—if the clothes were already clean, why would I be paying to wash them in the first place? It showed a lack of basic service understanding. 3. Safety Concerns: The surrounding area, especially along the beachfront, felt unsafe for foreign tourists. Strangers frequently approached from the beach trying to sell local trinkets, and some became aggressive or verbally abusive when refused. This made us very uncomfortable walking around. 4. Poor Booking Flexibility: Even before check-in, the problems began. We accidentally booked two extra days and tried to amend the booking through our travel agent. While the agent was willing to help, the hotel outright refused to make any changes or refund, showing no flexibility or care. In summary, what should have been a relaxing beachfront stay turned into a series of unpleasant surprises. I would not recommend Hotel Windsor Barra, especially to international travelers expecting basic hospitality, transparency, and safety.

First come first who and how this property got 5 stars rating? Top roof pool, beachfront, a few restaurants around. Not worth money Concierge helpless, front desk Gabriel was nice trying his best. Very poor customer service I didn’t feel welcoming I’m not recommending this hotel.

Great staff and location. However the amenities are poor- no coffee machine in room, no iron, no complementary coffee / tea service at reception. The restaurant is overpriced. The decor is tired and dated.

Location is perfect and amazing sunsets from the swimming pool on the rooftop. Rooms were not super clean (insect and mold in the bathroom). Price related was food for us.

Great place, nice and calm beach front, restaurants and kiosks at a short walking distance. The staff is very kind and available. Great place to stay! Great place for conventions!

Room: Large, with a comfy bed, but room lights come in the night if you touch the wrong part of the headboard... Very poor breakfast, except that the juice cups are normal cup-sized! Awful internet.

Great location, price and best view ever! Also the restaurant offers a fabulous breakfast buffet with all sorts of food.

This is a good hotel across from the beach. Very clean and secure. They offer beach service: towels that you pick up on SS1 and then on the beach they have umbrellas and chairs (if available). Breakfast buffet is included and very good. Service is slow so if you are a coffee drinker and expect to drink a few cups you will have to patiently wait for a server or if you are lucky, they might leave the coffee in your table. The pool is located on the top floor and is never crowded. They also have clean pool towels. Just help yourself. Things that they could improve: - service is slow - valet is even worse. If you are in a hurry, call ahead to ask for your car and have patience to wait some more. One time it took 30 MINuTES to get our car - Internet : wifi is slow and you pay for it There are a few restaurants close by. The pasta one next door is fancy and more expensive. The steak house to the other side is good but seat were greasy. I prefer wallking a few more blocks and going to "Baladinha Mix" to eat some brazilian food and nice juices. We ate at the hotel a few times for lunch and dinner and it was too expensive for what they had. Just when is raining but their "Feijoada" on Saturday is delicious and you must try if you like black beans. ;-) Esse hotel é bem localizado na praia na Barra. Bem limpo e seguro mas nao é perfeito. Falaram 5 estrelas mas nao concordo. Alguns elevadores nao funcionam para alguns andares, o serviço no cafe da manha é muito lento e a internet nao é de graça como a maioria dos hoteis 5 estrelas!!! Voce paga R$30 por dia pela Internet Eles oferecem toalhas pra praia no sub solo, e cadeiras e guarda sol tb na praia quando estao disponiveis. Na cobertura onde fica a piscina, eles tambem tem toalhas a disposicao e lanchonete. Para jantar e almoçar fomos raramente ao restaurante do hotel pois é muito caro para o que oferece. De sabado eles tem uma feijoada deliciosa com batidinha de coco mas o resto da semana eu prefiro caminhar e ir em outros restaurantes maravilhosos de frente pra praia tb. Gostaria muito que o Maitre na hora do cafe da manha parasse de bater papo com os outros funcionarios e prestasse atençao aos hospedes com xicaras vazias. O Chef que faz os waffles e omeletes é uma simpatia e otimo na cozinha. O cafe da manha vale a pena especialmente por causa do omelete dele.

Is is very well located with very well services and amenities. It looks like a hotel from the 80's, kinda old.It is in front of the beach, with gym, pool and great restaurant. The food is brazilian, lots of fruits and local food. Staff is very nice and helpful. The only things like a lot of hotels in Brazil is that they charge per internet use everywhere. So, even if you come for business I don't think that's right. It is OK and useful.

I recently stayed at the Windsor Marapendi and I was very impressed by the Windsor hotel chain. I assumed that all of the Windsor hotels would be of such high quality. Boy was I wrong. The service with a smile is non existent at this Windsor. I don't know where to begin. My thermostat is broken and when I called for maintenance they said they could not fix it or put me in another room. Their is ants in my room. I ordered room service and within thirty minutes of leaving my food in the tray my room was inundated with ants. They lost my laundry. I had my do not disturb sign hung up and guess what. A housekeeper opened the door anyway. Luckily I was not in a compromising situation. What good is a do not disturb sign if the employees don't obey it. I asked to speak to the manager and I waited for 30 minutes. I finally had to go. I still haven't spoke to the manager yet. No follow up. No apology. My room service orders have been wrong every time I order. The housekeeper does a terrible job cleaning my room. I think they just make my bed and empty the trash cans. Nothing else. I tried to use a bell cart for 2 cases of water and other items that I bought and they told me I wasn't allowed to use it because it was not luggage. I was in disbelief. I've never heard such a thing. I was in the restaurant and asked for the check. It took the usual 5 minutes to get anything around here. I was running late for a meeting so I told the host that I would sign the check when I got back. He put his hand on me and demanded that I wait for the check. Who does that?? This hotel should be removed from the chain. Or they need to replace the managers. The only reason I gave this place one star is because of Gabriel, the Food and Beverage manager. He has been the only positive part of my stay at this hotel. Stay away if you can or stay down the road at the Windsor Marapendi.